With the New Year fast approaching I’m sure a lot of you will be making some resolutions that are health related for 2015. And I would like to encourage you to let SPELL Fitness be a part of them!

This is not a program the that you can find anywhere else. This isn’t BeachBody or WeightWatchers or South Beach. This is YOU. This is your body, your schedule, your goals and your own personal trainer. It’s not an app in iTunes, it’s not a book on a shelf. This is a CUSTOM program that is tailored to you!

So I hope to encourage you to not only make resolutions for the new year that include leading a healthier life, but that you also invest in a program that will support you 110% in achieving all that you resolve to achieve.

Just wanted to let all of my followers know that there is now a SPELL Fitness Pinterest page.

So please follow along!

Today I am redirecting you to another site, this came into my email over the weekend and was such a great reminder.

Enjoy!

Psalm 103:1-3
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,

While modern medicine is an amazing thing, we need to remember that God is the ultimate physician. I believe that God has given certain people (doctors) the knowledge to help ill people. And that it is not evil for us to turn to modern medicine, however, we also should be placing our concerns about our physical and mental health in God’s hands. I struggle with this almost daily, anxiety and even depression at times has crippled me at times in my life, and I wonder how or why God would allow for me to feel that way. But I realize that God is not the one “doing” that to me, Satan is, he love to plant seeds of doubt and fear in our minds and if we allow them to fester they become like a disease in our spirits. Keep the truth of the Lord at the forefront of your mind, and only think on things that are pure and holy and of Christ. And bring ALL of your concerns, physical and emotional to Him and He will heal you. Be bold in your faith, friends! Ask and then believe that you will receive what you have asked for in faith!!

Today is brief. Because I don’t think that there needs to be a lot of chatter over this subject. But it also ties in perfectly with the basis of SPELL Fitness.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God”

 1 Corinthians 10:31

What I take away from this verse is the idea of moderation, and of keeping God at the focus of everything we do. We are to do pleasing things to Him, pure and holy things. In the same manner, we don’t need to be extreme with anything. There is no biblical reason to restrict ourselves in our diets, or to never enjoy simple pleasures in life. Chocolate, cake, french fries, fast food; I love all of those things! And I think that spending an evening sitting on the couch with a plate full of nachos every now and again is good for the soul!

Granted, we aren’t supposed to damage our bodies, or engage in sinful activities. But as long as we are doing everything with a clear conscious and He our motivation, we are to enjoy this life, while being a witness to those around us by how we live it.

In order to guard our hearts, we must avoid “ailments” like anger, greed, temptation and pride. I know that for me personally, I have a daily battle with Satan who tries to fill my mind/heart with these things, and I have to call on Christ constantly to rebuke them and to stay focused on Him and His truths.

We need to protect our identity in Christ by guarding our hearts from the evil ways of the enemy. He is crafty and will be constantly trying to make us focus our attention on things that are not of God. Stay strong in your battle and like Paul tells us in

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”  Philippians 4:8

Prayer.

I think this is one of the most overlooked gifts that we have been given. And it’s one that we talk about and throw around a lot with little action to back it up.

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20

We have an open line of communication with the God who created the universe. Let me say that again.

WE HAVE AN OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE GOD WHO CREATED THE UNIVERSE.

If He put the stars in the sky, and the fish in the see, and the hairs on our head…don’t you think He can take care of our struggles if we let Him?

Today, and the rest of your days, I challenge you to really PRAY. Talk to God in your car, when you’re cooking, when you lay your head down at night, when you’re working out…PRAY. Talk to Him, tell Him what you’re worried about and what is on your heart. And then (here’s the tricky part) TRUST. Trust that He hears you, He loves you more than you can even imagine, and that He will take care of whatever you bring to Him in faith and with bold requests.

Forgiveness. Probably one of the most prominent subjects in the Christian faith, one that is preached on over and over. Especially regarding Christ’s forgiveness of our sins in his death on the cross. And that, my friends, is an AMAZING truth that we can all enjoy freely.

But what about forgiveness of others. Our giving forgiveness to those who have wronged us? That is a much tougher concept. At least it is for me personally; I have been hurt by people who I thought were my very close friends, I allowed them into my life and trusted them with my emotions. But then sin; greed and jealousy gets in the way, and those relationships change. I can say, from personal experience, that embracing the notion of forgiveness is a much more fulfilling and loving route than that of holding onto resentment and bitterness. Even though our forgiveness of those who have hurt us may not be accepted or reciprocated, that is not what we need to be concerned with. There is an old saying “kill them with kindness”, and while the “kill” part isn’t really biblical, I think that the concept behind the phrase is a good one. You just continue to be Jesus to people, forgive them constantly with the love that He has shown you. Be outgoing, be loving, be Jesus. Period.

Do you ever wonder who you’re supposed to be serving? When we hear people talk about these grand mission trips to save villages in Africa we think “oh that’s great but I can’t go there, I’ve got kids and a job and that just isn’t my scene.”

But the truth is (and this is certainly an area that I struggle with, so I spent a lot of time praying over this post) we are all to be servants and missionaries in our own way.

We are commanded to be servants of all mankind. Jesus commanded it, and Jesus knows that those who need to be served are highly prized and that we as his hands and feet in the world are to seek them out and be those hands and feet to them.

Serving comes in a variety of ways, it doesn’t always mean traveling to various lands, or spending time away from your kids. It can mean helping your neighbor rake their leaves, or bringing a meal to a shut in at your church. God places us in each others lives for a reason, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone a little bit and see just where He wants you to be; especially during the holiday season. So many people find the holidays to be incredibly lonely and depressing for a variety of reasons, many of which we may never know. But you have the opportunity more than ever during this time of the year to bless those around you in so many ways. Don’t miss out!

This sermon is an oldie but a goodie. I was praying over what to post for this day, and the notes I took on it fell out of my Bible. If you have a few minutes, I encourage you to take a listen.